Apparatus for automatically throwing out the resistance in charging storage batteries.



G. PATTBERG. APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY THROWING OUT TEE RESISTANGE INCHARGING STORAGE BATTERIES.

3 APPLICATION FILED 00126, 1908. 921,447. FAA- Patented May 11, 1909.

BYM/f ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE PATTBERG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARA US FOR AUTOMATICALLY Tirnowme OUT THE RESISTANCE m CHARGING-STORAGE BATTERIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1909.

Application filed October 8, 1908. Serial No. 466,496.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE PATTBERG, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the countyand State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Ap liance forAutomatically Throwing Out the Ecsistance in Charging Storage Batteries,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion.

The invention belongs to that class of a single electrical a pliancesfor charging storage batteries, in W 'ch the source of supply is led toone pole of the battery through a variable resistance, withmotor-actuated means for automatically and successively connecting thebattery with the next lower resistance as the counter electric motiveforce of the battery reaches a degree corresponding to the resistancewith which it is connected.

The invention resides in the adaptation of a single solenoid or magnetfor closing the motor circuit preparatory to the change of the batteryresistance and interrupting the said circuit after the change of thebattery resistance is completed; a circuit breaker and a controllertherefor, adjustable to throw out the circuit breaker and cut off thesource of supply when the battery is charged to a degree 'correspondingto a predetermined point along the resistance.

Reference is to be had to the accompany-1f1- mg drawings forming apartofthis specifica tion, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts inall the views, and in which Fi ure 1 is adiagrammatic view ,illustrating t e preferred arrangement andconstruction of m improved ap liance; Fig. 2 is a section substantiallyon t e line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the 0p ositedirection; and Fig. 4 is a side view of t e circuit breaker.

' The appliance, more specifically described, embodies in itsconstruction a circuit breaker 5, connected with a suitable source ofelectrical supply 6, and preferably made in the form of a switch, havinga spring-pressed plunger 7 tending to forceit open, and held in closedosition by a no-voltage coil or magnet 8, t e latter being arranged inthe circuit of a controller 9, the nature and function. of which arehereinafter referred to.

A motor 10 drives through a system of gearing, as shown in Figs. 1 and2, an arm or contact device 11, which is fixed to a shaft 12, to whichis also fixed a wheel 13, carrying a spring-pressed pawl 1 1', normallyengaged with a ratchet wheel 15, secured to a sleeve 16, which isjournaled on the shaft and carries one of the gears of the train ofgearing. movable over a series of contact plates or members 17, carriedon a sector or quadrant 18 of insulating material, which is also pro-'vided with a curved track 19, on which the circuiteontroller 9 isadjustable. Each contact member or plate 17 is connected to a point inthe length of a resistance coil 20, the connections being made to givethe contact members gradually increased pressures. The contact device orarm 11 successively 0011- nects the contact plates 17 with an arc conductor 21, and is made in two sections connected together as indicatedat 22 and insulated one from the other. The conductor 21 is connected toa pole of a storage battery 23, which has the opposite pole thereofconnected witlnone po e of the main circuit or, supply through thecircuit breaker. The opposite terminal or pole of the circuit Thecontact device or arm 11 is breaker is connected with one end of the re-1 sistance coil, and placed therebetweenl is a series magnet 01 solenoid24, the core of which. is movable between adjustable opposed contactpoints 25 and 26 respectively, the core of the solenoid, when contactingwith the points 25, completing the circuit of the motor, one pole ofwhich is shown to be in connection with the main su ply through thecircuit breaker, and when t e core of the solenoid contacts with theinsulateihpoints 26, interrupting the motor circuit.

The circuit controller 9 has contact oints 27 insulated one from anotherand eac connected to one of the'binding screws 28, arranged in thecircuit of the magnet or novoltage coil 8, the circuit being completedbetween the points 27 by a spring-pressed armature 29, which is adaptedto be forced inwardly bya projection 30, carried at one side of thecontact device 1 1.

In the operation of the appliance, the circuit controller is adjusted onthe track 19 adjacent to the contact plate or member having a degreecorresponding to the charge which it is desired to give the cell. Theconance after the battery is fully discharged, or to a contact platecorresponding to the charge which the battery carries, this movement ofthe contact device being manually performed by throwing out the pawl 14,to release the contact device from the motor gearing. On then throwingin the circuit reaker, the magnet 8 is energized by reason of thecompletion of a circuit thereto through the contact points 27 operatingto hold the circuit breaker closed. The chargewill pass to the batterythrough the contact device and the contact member with which the deviceconnects, and will continue until the counter-electro motive force ofthe battery has reached a degree corresponding thereto, at which timethe series magnet 24 will be weakened and the core thereof dropped,closing the motor circuit, the operation of which carries the contactdevice to the nextcontact member, and when they connect, the strength ofthe series magnet will be augmented, interrupting the motor circuit.This continues until the projection 30 of the contact device strikes thearmature 29, breaking the circuit of the no-voltage coil when thespring-pressed plunger throws out the switch of the circuit breaker.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In an apparatus for charging storage batteries, the combination ofa'storagc battery, an electrical supply, a series of contact membersconnected to have gradually increasing pressures, a contact device'forsuccessively connecting the members with the battery, means foroperating said device to successively move it irom one contact member tothe other as the counter-electro-motive force'of the battery reaches adegree corresponding thereto, a circuit breaker having an e ectro-magnetfor retaining it in closed position, a circuit controller in the circuitof the magnet, and means carried by the contact device for interruptingthe circuit through said controller when the battery has been charged tothe required point.

'2. In an apparatus for charging storage batteries, the combination of astorage battery, an electrical supply, a circuit breaker with which saidsupply connects, means tending to throw out the circuit breaker, ano-voltage coil for holding the circuit breaker in closed position, aseries of contact members connected to have gradually increasingpressures, a contact device for successively connecting the battery withsaid members a circuit controller adjustable along said members andarranged in the circuit of the no-voltagc coil, and means carried by thecontact device for interrupting the circuit hrough said controller,whereby the no-vo tage coil is deenergized and the circuit breakerthrown out.

3. In an apparatus for charging storage batteries, the combination of astorage battery, a circuit breaker, an electrical supply leading to thecircuit breaker, an electromagnet for holding the circuit breaker inclosed position, a series of members connected to have graduallyincreasing pressures, a contact device for successively completing thecircuit between said members. and the battery, a controller arranged inthe circuit of the magnet and adjustable along said members, having aspring-pressed armature completing the circuit of the magnet, and aprojection carried on said device for engaging the armature and breakingthe circuit.

In witness whereof I have signed my name tovthis specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

' GEORGE PATTBERG.

Witnesses:

PETER P. SoRmLLo, JosEPn STANBAG.

